Wandering Sword Seller's Life in the Qin Dynasty

Yan Dan was naturally aware that the Qin army was approaching the Yi River.

He mentally prepared his words, thinking about how to persuade his father, and then quickly headed towards the palace.

Soon, Yan Dan met his father, the king, in the main hall of the palace.

"Your subject pays respects to Your Majesty!"

Despite having many thoughts in his heart, Yan Dan outwardly maintained his respect for his father.

"Ji Dan, do you know what trouble you have brought to the Yan Kingdom?"

As soon as King Xi of Yan opened his mouth, he began to reprimand Yan Dan.

"The Qin state has sent a letter demanding your return, or they will send a large army to the border..."

"Tell me, what should I do?"

Upon hearing Yan Wangxi's reprimand, Yan Dan's expression changed slightly, and he quickly began to defend himself, trying to persuade his father.

He had actually guessed Qin's move, after all, there were quite a few people chasing him after he fled, which meant that Qin cared a lot about his escape.

Qin would seize the opportunity to launch an attack.

In fact, Yan Dan was indifferent to the matter of returning to Qin.

His escape was not because he truly wanted to save the Yan state.

Instead, he planned to take the opportunity to return to the Yan Kingdom and complete the task entrusted to him by Donghuang Taiyi.

In other words, he could not return to Qin until he had obtained those things.

Yan Dan immediately spoke up, offering all sorts of explanations for herself.

Hearing Yan Dan's explanations, King Xi of Yan's expression softened slightly. He said to Yan Dan, "I am aware of what the Crown Prince has said. Qin is a wolf with treacherous ambitions. Even if we send you back to Qin, it will not satisfy their appetite. Instead, they will take the opportunity to demand compensation from Yan..."

“Ceasement of territory and surrender of cities are minor matters. The most important thing is that Qin will not give up its desire to attack my Yan state.”

"Now that the State of Zhao has been destroyed, the Qin army is approaching the Yi River... Once the Qin army has finished its preparations, they may cross the Yi River at any time and attack our State of Yan."

King Xi of Yan expressed his concerns.

Hearing Yan Wangxi's worries, Yan Dan quickly replied, "Father, you are wise!"

He never imagined that his father, who had always been mediocre and incompetent, would be able to think of such things.

However, it is a good thing that his father understands him and does not intend to send him back to Qin.

Just as Yan Dan was thinking this, he heard the King of Yan say happily, "I do not intend to hand you over to Qin, but we must find a way to curb Qin's ambitions. Yan must not perish in our hands."

Yan Dan quickly replied, "Your subject will go back and think of a solution immediately."

"We will definitely come up with a safe solution."

"Safe?" Yan Wangxi's words were tinged with disdain.

"Can a prudent approach truly stop the Qin state?"

"What does Father mean?" Yan Dan understood the deeper meaning in Yan Wangxi's words and immediately asked in a soft voice.

"I have an idea that, if successful, can definitely slow down Qin's advance and prevent Qin from conquering my Yan state..."

"However, because I am extremely busy with state affairs, I do not have much time to handle this matter, so I intend to entrust it to you!"

The King of Yan enjoyed speaking eloquently and gave a lengthy introduction.

He finally revealed his thoughts.

"Assassinate King Ying Zheng of Qin!"

Upon hearing this, Yan Dan's eyes narrowed. He never expected that his father would have such courage.

However, he also had to admit that this was a method that involved both danger and opportunity.

If successful, it could indeed slow down the Qin state's conquest.

If he were in his normal state, he would definitely agree.

But right now, he's not even a living person, so naturally he's against it.

Yan Dan hurriedly said, "Father, this matter is far too dangerous! Ying Zheng is heavily guarded, and Qin's laws are strict. If the assassination fails, Yan may face annihilation!"

“If we don’t take a gamble, Yan will eventually follow in the footsteps of Han and Zhao. Only this method can give Yan a chance to survive. And if this succeeds, you will be the savior of Yan and a hero of the world.” King Xi of Yan continued, his gaze falling on Yan Dan. “Crown Prince, don’t you want to save Yan?”

Yan Dan opened her mouth, as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.

Chapter 248 The Assassination Plan for Qin

How could Yan Dan possibly answer that he didn't want to save the Yan Kingdom?

After all, the reason he gave for returning to China this time was that he was concerned about the country and its people.

With the fall of the Zhao state, the Yan state was in dire straits. As the crown prince of Yan, he wanted to share the burden of the Yan state's plight.

The entire Mohist school knew about this, and even praised his benevolence and righteousness.

It was for this reason that Six-Fingered Black Knight resolutely covered his retreat.

Facing his father's piercing gaze, Yan Dan knew that if he hesitated even slightly, he would be branded as "cowardly and disregarding the nation's crisis," losing not only his father's remaining trust but also causing his carefully cultivated image of "concern for the country and its people" to crumble.

His father would probably sacrifice him and send him back to Qin.

The Mo family will also begin to suspect him.

This is not a good thing for him.

At least for now, he needs time. Only by giving him enough time can he find what Donghuang Taiyi wants.

The thought flashed through Yan Dan's mind, and she had already made up her mind.

He bowed slightly, "Father, please calm your anger."

The subsequent sounds carried just the right amount of heaviness and resolve.

“Your subject is not timid, but this matter is of great importance and requires thorough preparation before we can even attempt it. Since Father has made up his mind, and the survival of the Yan Kingdom hangs by a thread, your subject, as the Crown Prince, should step forward and shoulder this heavy responsibility.”

The tense expression on King Yan's face instantly relaxed, and a hint of approval flashed in his eyes: "I am very pleased that the Crown Prince understands the greater good! You must remember that this matter must not be leaked in the slightest, otherwise not only will the assassination of Qin be hopeless, but Yan will also immediately incur the wrath of Qin."

"Your subject understands," Yan Dan replied, his eyes lowered, but a cold glint flashed in them. "However, Ying Zheng resides deep within the Xianyang Palace, with layers upon layers of guards, and Qin's spies are spread throughout the land. I fear that with my own strength alone, it will be difficult to find a suitable assassin, let alone devise a comprehensive plan."

“That’s true.” King Xi of Yan frowned, clearly not having given the matter much thought. “What are your plans? Speak freely, and I will fully support you.”

Yan Dan raised his eyes, his expression sincere: "Your Majesty, I believe that the most urgent task is to secretly seek out extraordinary people and talents throughout the land. There are hidden dragons and crouching tigers in the martial world, and there must be those who are proficient in assassination and mechanical arts, and who have a blood feud with the Qin State. Your Majesty is willing to use the name of the Crown Prince of Yan to secretly contact these righteous people, offer them great benefits, and discuss the plan to assassinate the Qin Emperor together."

He already had a plan in mind regarding who should carry out the assassination.

Mohism!

The Mohists have always upheld the principle of "non-aggression" and abhorred the Qin state's conquest of the six states. The Six-Fingered Black Knight, who was protecting him on his way back to his country, has been missing ever since. The Mohists have always held him in high regard and many sympathize with the plight of the Yan state.

If he were to come to them seeking help under the pretext of "assassinating the Qin emperor to save the country," the Mohists would have no reason to refuse.

More importantly, the Mohist school was powerful, possessing not only skilled craftsmen proficient in mechanisms and hidden weapons, but also highly skilled masters, making them capable of undertaking the core mission of assassinating the Qin emperor.

Currently, the whereabouts of Six-Fingered Black Knight are unknown, and he is suspected to be dead. He is the powerful successor of the leader of the Mo family.

Although I wanted to complete the task assigned by Donghuang Taiyi, it would be a real pity to destroy the Mo family directly.

After all, this is a renowned and prestigious field of study.

If the Mohist school can be preserved, then even if the Yan state is destroyed after I am fully revived, I will not be left with nothing.

However, this is on the premise that the Mohists do not discover the problem with him.

Although the assassination attempt on the King of Qin was proposed by his father, upon closer examination, it still had some benefits for him.

Aside from the fact that they could later shift all the blame onto the Mohists.

They could also use the opportunity of assassinating the Qin emperor to eliminate their political opponents.

He eliminated potential threats from within the Mohist school, thus turning it into his personal fiefdom.

However, although he had these thoughts in his mind, Yan Dan would certainly not tell his father about his relationship with the Mohists.

He deliberately avoided the term "Mohist School," using only "righteous men of the world" as a general term. This not only met the requirements of King Xi of Yan for secrecy but also left him ample room to contact the Mohists later.

King Yan was delighted to hear this and nodded repeatedly: "This plan is excellent! People of the Jianghu are not bound by etiquette and act in secrecy, making them perfect candidates for assassinating the King of Qin. You can draw on the gold, silver, carriages, horses, and intelligence you need at any time from the national treasury. I will have the Commandant of the Guards secretly allocate manpower to your command."

"Thank you for your trust, Father." Yan Dan bowed again, having already made his plans.

As we left the palace, dusk had fallen, and the streets and alleys of Jicheng gradually fell silent, with only the occasional sound of footsteps from patrolling soldiers.

Yan Dan returned to the Crown Prince's residence in a carriage. The curtains were lowered, blocking the view from the outside world. He stroked the black jade with his fingertips, a cold smile playing on his lips.

"Righteous men of the world?" He chuckled softly. "They are indeed righteous men, but unfortunately, I am no longer the person I once was..."

……

After returning to the Crown Prince's residence.

Yan Dan immediately gathered the Mo family members.

Logically, the most important thing right now is to find the whereabouts of Six-Fingered Black Knight.

But does Yan Dan really care about Six-Fingered Black Knight?

don't care.

He knew better than anyone who Six-Fingered Black Knight was up against.

With Donghuang Taiyi personally taking action, it's clear that Six-Fingered Black Knight has absolutely no chance of surviving. The Mo family's efforts to find his whereabouts are simply futile.

However, this does not mean he can rest easy.

If someone discovers his collusion with the Yin-Yang School during this period, things could get very bad.

Therefore, we must take advantage of this time to quickly find something for the Mohists to do and divert their attention.

A few days later, several leaders of the Mo family arrived at Yan Dan's residence.

The Mo Family's Mechanical City is located on the border between the Yan and Qi states, and it's not a long way to get here from there.

They assumed that Yan Dan had summoned them here because of news of the Six-Fingered Black Knight.

"Your Highness, have you summoned us here because of news of the Grand Master?"

Dao Zhi, one of the leaders of the Mohist school, was always an impatient man, and immediately pressed Yan Dan for an answer.